FocalReader – ADHD Focus Reader

Dim the page around what you're reading. Smart Window snaps focus to paragraphs and headings. Built for ADHD & dyslexia.

A focus reading tool that dims everything except where you're reading — from a single paragraph down to one line. Works on web pages and PDFs. Perfect for ADHD, dyslexia, or anyone who gets distracted. 100% free. No accounts, no upsells, no premium tier. NEW IN v1.5.0 Line Focus — Smart Window can now narrow all the way down to a single line. With Smart Window on, press Shift+Right to drill from a paragraph to one line, Shift+Down / Shift+Up to read line by line, and Shift+Left to widen back out. Works on web pages and PDFs. KEY FEATURES - Smart Window: Element-aware focus that snaps to paragraphs, headings, and articles. Step through blocks with Shift+arrow keys. Works on both web pages and PDFs. - Line Focus: Narrow Smart Window all the way to a single line — press Shift+Right to drill from a paragraph down to one line, then Shift+Down / Shift+Up to move line by line. Ideal for dense text. Web pages and PDFs. - Follow Mouse Mode: The focus window follows your cursor as you read - Manual Mode: Position the focus window anywhere and drag to move it (on web pages) - Double-Tap Mode: On PDFs, double-click any paragraph to anchor focus - Full Width Mode: Spans the entire screen width for comfortable line reading - Auto Dim: Automatically increases dimming when you stop moving, creating a calm reading environment - Adjustable Size, Opacity, and Tint Color - Per-Site Pause: Disable on specific sites with one click PDF SUPPORT FocalReader replaces Chrome's built-in PDF viewer with its own, so the dim band, Smart Window, and Auto Dim controls all work on PDFs the same way they work on web pages. Built-in toolbar with page navigation, zoom, find, outline sidebar, and download. - Works on local and online PDFs (including arxiv.org and other URLs without a .pdf extension) - Two-column academic papers detected automatically - Running headers, footers, and page numbers skipped, so focus follows the body text only KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS - Alt+Shift+F (Option+Shift+F on Mac): Toggle extension on/off - Alt+Shift+M (Option+Shift+M on Mac): Toggle follow mouse mode - Alt+Shift+A (Option+Shift+A on Mac): Toggle auto dim - Alt+Shift+P (Option+Shift+P on Mac): Open popup - Alt+Shift+C (Option+Shift+C on Mac): Re-center focus window - Alt+Shift+Arrow Keys: Resize focus window - Shift+Down / Shift+Up: Move between paragraphs — or lines, in Line Focus (Smart Window) - Shift+Right / Shift+Left: Narrow to a single line / widen back to the paragraph (Smart Window) PERFECT FOR - People with ADHD who struggle to focus on text - Readers with dyslexia who benefit from reduced visual clutter - Students studying long PDFs and academic papers - Researchers reading lengthy reports - Anyone who gets overwhelmed by busy web pages - Night readers who want reduced eye strain PRIVACY FocalReader does not read your page content, your PDFs, or your browsing history, and nothing about what you read is sent anywhere. Settings are synced through your own Chrome account if you have Chrome Sync enabled. - No accounts, no sign-up, no email required - No analytics, no usage tracking, no telemetry - The only outbound request is when YOU click "Send feedback" — only what you wrote leaves your browser HOW TO USE 1. Click the FocalReader icon or press Alt+Shift+F to enable 2. Move your mouse to where you want to read 3. Turn on Smart Window to snap focus to a paragraph — then press Shift+Right to narrow to a single line, and Shift+Down / Shift+Up to move line by line 4. Prefer a fixed band? Turn off Follow Mouse to lock its position (web pages) 5. For PDFs: open any PDF link — FocalReader's viewer opens automatically 6. Adjust size, opacity, and auto-dim timing in the popup to your preference Simple, lightweight, and distraction-free reading starts now.